


Adjusting to the new normal

by JenJo



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Any spoilers are unintentional, Compliant up to Endgame, Established IronHusbands, M/M, Written based on trailers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-02-08 19:59:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18630268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenJo/pseuds/JenJo
Summary: I got given such a lovely premise for this fic- Rhodey/Tony, soulmates, post Infinity War.This is your "soulmates can write to each other on their skin" variety of soulmates.In this first chapter, bold italics represent Tony's messages to James, and italics are James writing to Tony.This fic picks up based off of the first trailers for Endgame. I wrote this fic before viewing Endgame, so any spoilers contained within are purely coincidental.I'm staggering out the posting, rather than posting it all at once.





	1. Is this thing on?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [WingMoon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WingMoon/gifts).



> I got given such a lovely premise for this fic- Rhodey/Tony, soulmates, post Infinity War.
> 
> This is your "soulmates can write to each other on their skin" variety of soulmates.   
> In this first chapter, bold italics represent Tony's messages to James, and italics are James writing to Tony.
> 
> This fic picks up based off of the first trailers for Endgame. I wrote this fic before viewing Endgame, so any spoilers contained within are purely coincidental.
> 
> I'm staggering out the posting, rather than posting it all at once.

**_Is this thing on?_ **

 

Tony stared at his arm, watching as the letters disappeared, one by one. He could only hope that whatever it was that tied two souls together had a range beyond the earth.

 

He had to wait two minutes before the familiar burning sensation appeared on his arm, right where his writing had been.

 

**You’re alive. Where are you, I can come and get you.**

 

“Not this time.” Tony could barely muster the energy to smile, but he did.  _ My Rhodey, always ready to save the day. My hero. _

 

**_Hey Mr Rhodes. I might be a little out of your range this time._ **

 

Tony closed his eyes, being careful to keep his breathing even and controlled. _ There’s no point in running out of oxygen any earlier than necessary. _

 

**You only Mr Rhodes me when you’re about to do something I won’t approve of.**

 

That smile reappeared; trust Rhodey to be able to bring a smile out of Tony in a situation as unhopeful as this.  _ My knight in shining armour. _

 

**_Don’t feel bad about this. Part of the journey is the end._ **

 

**Tony what are you doing?**

 

_ Saying goodbye to the best thing in my life, _  Tony thought bitterly as he wrote his reply .

 

**_Just for the record being adrift in space with zero promise of rescue is more fun than it sounds._ **

 

**You’re in space? What constellations can you see?**

 

**_Food and water ran out four days ago, oxygen will run out tomorrow morning._ **

 

**Tony…..**

 

**_And that’ll be it._ **

 

**You can’t think like that.**

 

**_James… when I drift off I will dream about you. It’s always you._ **

 

**Tony.**

 

**Tony.**

 

**TONY.**

 

Tony closed his eyes again, ignoring every sensation on his arm. He had wanted to say goodbye, he couldn’t bare to watch James try and fix this.

 

Because Tony  _ had  _ tried to fix this. Flying away from Titan, in the opposite direction to Nebula, had been their final option. They couldn’t stay on a lifeless planet, not forever. So they found two space worthy vessels, and each set off in a different direction.

In all honesty, they both knew that they had traded starving to death on Titan, for suffocating in space. But neither of them mentioned it; a small chance of rescue was better than none at all.

 

He had recorded a video message, on the slim chance that someone found his vessel. It had a general message to whoever found it, to return it to earth if possible. A second, hidden message, was left for the one person he wished he could see again. 

 

James Rupert Rhodes. My soulmate. The one person that fate decided, I wouldn’t be able to lose. Cause that’s what they say. Soulmates, together forever. Through thick and thin, fire and ice. Nothing can separate them.

 

Trust me to find the one way to separate us, right?

 

Just let me have this, okay?

 

I’m on Titan, see? Thanos’s homeworld. Not much to look at, but we did manage to find some ships.

 

Yeah, we. Nebula, she was Thanos’s daughter. She’s going to fly one ship one way, me the other. One of us might get rescued…

 

No, I am focusing on  _ you _ . Rhodey. The man who gave me a chance. The man who made me better than I could ever have been without you.

 

I’m glad I don’t have to live in a world without you. I don’t think I could do it.

 

But you can live without me. You’re strong, stronger than I could ever be.

 

Strange said that there was one way to defeat Thanos, right before sacrificing himself to save me. Hopefully, you can figure something out.

 

Be the best of us, because you always were.

 

I love you.

 

It hurt, to think about saying goodbye, but there wasn’t a choice. A goodbye was better than no goodbye, no matter how hard it was. And Tony was a realist, he knew he and James wouldn’t have had too many years left together. 

 

But there were  _ years  _ to be had, and now they were gone. Gone, because some madman got an idea, and acted on it. 

 

_ Gone, just like my oxygen. Goodbye, James. _

 

The last thought Tony had as he lost consciousness, was of him and James on a beach, watching the sun set. The sensations on his arms helped to send him off, knowing that no matter how far they were, the two of them were still connected. 


	2. ... others have remained untouched.

_ “... reports saying that whole cities have been wiped out, while others have remained untouched.” _

 

_ “I was holding her, and then… gone. She’s…” Inaudible, incoherent _

 

_ “No one knows what to do.” _

 

_ “Schools sit empty. No one is willing to send their children to school today.” _

 

_ “Mom was meant to come home by the time I woke up. Where are you mom?” _

 

_ “首相は答えを約束しました。” . _

 

_ “Our leaders are gone.” _

 

_ “Nous sommes plus forts ensemble.” _

 

_ “Please, use the registries. We are trying to get a complete number, and can only do that if you list your names. Please.” _

  
  


“Anything, FRIDAY?” James rubbed his eyes, turning away from the monitors. There was only so long that he could stare at the news, at the hopeless looks on people’s faces. The wall of monitors behind his desk was a good idea. It  _ had  _ been a good idea, back when the world made a bit more sense. Now, it was just a painful reminder of how much the world  _ didn’t  _ make sense. And now, James’s days were filled with asking FRIDAY the same one worded questions, while meaning something else entirely. 

 

_ “Anything, Friday?” More like, “Where is Tony?” _

 

“He’s not on earth.” The same answer, it was always the same answer.  Tony Stark was not on earth. Tony Stark was not on earth, and James Rhodes is. James Rhodes does not have time to worry about Tony Stark. Not right now, anyway. 

 

Tony Stark was also not writing any messages to James.

 

“And how is earth doing today?” James kept a hand over his eyes, the closest to sleep he had gotten in the past three days. Sleep didn’t come to those who had seen people disappear into  _ nothing _ , wiped from existence in the snap of fingers. 

 

“Over two billion responses to the global registry. It has had many successes with reuniting families. There are several world leaders who are now confirmed to have disappeared. The Security Council will be meeting in two hours to form a plan.”

 

“And let me guess,” James spoke without looking up. “They want me there.”

 

“They have been asking for your presence for the past three days.”

 

“And they can continue asking. I have other things to do.” 

 

“You have been putting them off for too long. There is a possibility that they bring the meeting to you.”

 

James looked up, slowly. “Really?”

 

If an AI could shrug, James was sure FRIDAY would be shrugging right now. “Just a guess. A guess which is based on data collected over years of-”

 

“FRIDAY?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“I believe you. How will this meeting occur?”

 

“Holographic communications. The room downstairs is still set up.”

 

“Anything else I have to deal with today?”

 

“You have had fifty seven calls from varying levels of the United States military and government. Each asked a variation on the same question, which you had blacklisted. I replied to all as you instructed.”

 

_ What happened, and how do we fix it?  _ Was the question, and James had grown tired of answering it. No matter how many times he told someone that he didn’t know, they kept calling. FRIDAY had come up with the solution of screening the calls, and answering with the message that James was in “ _ discussions and meetings to find an answer, and a solution. He will let everyone know when he has an answer _ .”

 

It wasn’t that James didn’t care. It wasn’t that James wanted to shrug off his responsibilities. There was only so many times he could hear the same voices, the ones that just wanted an answer that he didn’t know. He was one man, and he needed to compartmentalise.

 

“Thank you, FRIDAY. Anything else?”

 

“Rogers wants to see you.”

 

James dropped his head onto the desk in front of him for a brief moment. He sighed, lifting his head up again. “Let him in.”

 

“You look like you’ve slept as much as I have,” James said as Steve entered. The man looked defeated, in a way that he never did. 

 

“Bit hard to do that, isn’t it?” Steve asked as he sat down opposite James. 

 

“What brings you by?”

 

“You’re not answering your phone calls.”

 

“And you are?”

 

Steve shook his head. “No, but I do occasionally look at my voicemail.” 

 

“A mistake.” James sighed, dragging a hand down his face. “Any news?”

 

Steve shook his head again. “Nothing new. Or, rather, too much new. Every hour seems to bring a new problem.”

 

“And everyone is coming to me for answers.” James reached across his desk, opening a laptop and showing the screen to Steve. The list of unread messages, from leaders around the world, glared out from the screen. “They’re asking  _ me  _ to advise on how to reform the world.  _ Me _ . I am not qualified to advise on this.”

 

“No one is. The world has never faced something like this before. Half of all humans, gone.”

 

“It’s insane. There’s no precedent for it. It’s-”

 

“It is what it is,” Steve spoke, which James was thankful for. He was running out of words. “I came by to tell you that Romanoff is on her way back.”

 

“Did she find him?”

 

“More or less. Her words, which could mean anything.”

 

“Anything,” James echoed, closing his eyes. “Just one more thing to deal with.”

 

“Anything I can do?”

 

_ Turn back time?  _ “Not right now. I have a meeting with world leaders that I’ve been putting off.”

 

“I don’t envy you.” Steve stood, offering James a ghost of a smile. “Good luck.”

 

“I’ll need it,” James replied, watching Steve leave. “FRIDAY?”

 

“I have outlined several talking points that will be brought up when you talk to the world leaders, based on the contents of their phone calls. I have also provided facts and figures for you to review.”

 

“You’re a lifesaver.”

 

“Just doing what I can.”

 

James reached out to his laptop, find it’s screen filled with FIRDAY’s suggestions already. He could practically hear Tony’s voice in the back of his head, asking why he was using a laptop. It was an old discussion, one that happened regularly.

 

_ “It’s loud.” _

_ “It’s not loud, Tony. You’re complaining.” _

_ “Why not use something with a  _ little  _ bit more processing power?” _

_ “I’m not using it for it’s power. I’m writing a report.” _

_ “Why not dictate it?” _

_ “I like the sound of the keyboard.” _

_ “You like the… really?” _

_ “Really.” _

_ “There’s no accounting for taste.” _

_ “Clearly.” James said, with a pointed look at Tony. _

_ Tony rolled his eyes. “Funny.” _

_ “Only for you.” _

 

James shook his head, dispelling the memory. Tony had made sure to program the sound of the mechanical keyboard into everything, just in case James used it.  

 

Just in case, was a phrase often used around Tony. Unfortunately, there was no “Just in case I end up drifting in outer space” plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Japanese- "The Prime Minister has promised answers."  
> French- "We are stronger together."


	3. I've stopped listening to numbers.

“I’ve stopped listening to numbers.” The hologram on the far left, a European monarch, waved a hand through the air, brushing aside concern.  “They grow bigger every day, with every new name registered or not. I can’t lead my people while wondering  _ what ifs _ all day.”

 

“Not all of us have that luxury, Your Grace.” The Prime Minister of France interrupted. “Some of us have to look to the future. To plan, to-”

 

The Prime Minister was interrupted before they could continue, by a General from Asia. “Yes, yes, we all know just how much  _ planning  _ you have been doing, Prime Minister.”

 

“Is that an-”

 

“Maybe it was.”

 

James closed his eyes, shaking his head. He turned away slightly, stepping away from the holographic camera for a moment.

 

“Is something wrong Colonel?”

 

He looked up, slowly, at the holographic screens surrounding him. An assembly of the United Nations. Or, more accurately, a  _ mockery  _ of the assembly. Twelve people were there, not including James. Other world leaders had other priorities right now. He stepped back into view, hands behind his back to hide the shaking.

 

“Just wondering why everyone made such a big deal about me being here, if it was just going to be a bunch of name calling.”

 

“How dare you-”

 

James took a step forward, the Prime Minister falling silent.  “Topic. We need to stay on topic. Where were we, before we got distracted?”

 

After a brief pause, the General answered James’s question. “The registrations are slowly being filled. Current projections track that exactly one half of the world’s population has been lost.”

 

“I have teams tasked with resource management. They are listing farms, factories, distribution centres. We will have food in place by the end of the week.”

 

“Economically speaking, we have suspended all of the world’s finances. We are developing a new system, and will have it in place next week. Even so, we will be distributing food on an as-needed basis. No one goes hungry.”

 

“Most generators are back online. Electricity is up, and so is the internet. We have code in place to temper some of the more extreme views, in an effort to curtail any violence. Failing this, we have teams on stand by to deal with any outbreaks.”

 

“Most people aren’t worried about violence. From what I’ve seen and heard, the world is numb. No one is willing to lose more than they already have.”

 

“This is our new normal. What happened was a tragedy, but we can’t dwell on it at the expense of our future. We’re fresh out of miracles, unless there’s any news on Stark?”

 

The twelve holograms all looked at James expectantly. 

 

“Not a word,” James replied, sparing his forearm a brief glance. “The last word from Stark was that he was heading away from earth.”

 

“It’s a damn shame. If anyone could pull off a miracle, it’d be him. We’ll convene again in three days.”

 

James watched the twelve holograms blink out. He let out a breath that he had not realised he had been holding, slumping into the closest chair. He removed his leg braces, and tilted his head back. 

 

_ They wanted me for  _ that _?  _ James sighed.  _ What a waste of time.  _

 

James knew that it wasn’t a waste of time; people needed  _ something  _ to get through this. Some sort of goal, something to focus on. The alternative was madness, and James was walking a thin line every day.  

 

_ If only they knew just how much of a shame Tony’s absence was. If only, if only, if only. _

 

James was only brought out of his thoughts by the sound of the door opening, and a familiar face appearing.

 

“Pepper.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. :D


End file.
